Sister Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, 17, was shot dead at a demonstration protesting the Israeli occupation of the West Bank a year ago today. Her family remains dedicated to finding out what happened to her, and why she died. Meet Eygi, a 26-year-old Turkish-American with a psychology degree. He flew to Palestine to work with communities being attacked by violence from Israeli soldiers and settlers. Her family members are outraged at the failure to hold anyone accountable, and the failure for an investigation by U.S. authorities into her killing.
Eygi had been nervous on her inaugural trip to Palestine, worried about threats to her safety. Her commitment to human rights advocacy led her to join protests opposing settlement expansion around Nablus. Eygi’s family expressed that they will remember Eygi as a passionate activist. She was one of the most vibrant people I ever met, and she always encouraged people to be hopeful.
Her brother, Bennett, reflects on the duality of her personality, stating, “The part that gets focused on obviously is her activism and advocacy… She was a goofy 26-year-old. She was my little sister.” This combination of fieriness and affection is what made Eygi so admired among her colleagues and so loved by her family members.
In the aftermath of her death, an Israeli military investigation concluded that Eygi was “highly likely” hit “indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire which was not aimed at her.” U.S. officials called her killing “unprovoked and unjustified” and vowed to hold an internal investigation. Yet even with these promises, no major steps have been announced a year later.
The Turkish government has begun to clamp down. They’ve filed testimony about Eygi’s unlawful killing to international authorities, including the United Nations Security Council and the International Criminal Court. Eygi’s family wants to stress that they are just trying to keep authorities accountable to their own words about the necessity of justice. Hamid Ali, a family spokesperson, remarked, “We’re just holding them to their own words.”
Tragically, Eygi’s life was cut short as she stood in solidarity with Palestinians. The legacy of her activism lives on, in large part due to her family’s efforts. Bennett expressed his heartache over the loss of his sister, saying, “I’m heartbroken that there are so many families who have experienced the same thing.” Eygi’s death has an immeasurable emotional impact on her family. The ripple effects of this tragedy extend beyond them to all who have lost loved ones in other tragic crashes.